Promotion

Cruise out, Cavill in for The Man from U.N.C.L.E.?

With the news that Tom Cruise is not going to star in the film version of Man from U.N.C.L.E. which Guy Ritchie is now directing, along comes news of who might be taking his place. While Armie Hammer remains, so far, the production are off looking for another star.

Cruise is going to be busy on something else and frankly I think that's a good thing. He would dominate the film and a more balanced duo would allow both actors and characters to lead the film don't you think?

Tom Cruise is busy, he's committed to making Mission: Impossible V, some would say that in itself is an Impossible Mission although I think his franchise role there is a superb one and I'd love to see another one, after all it manages to mix huge spectacle with exciting thriller and never really disappoints. Well I haven't felt it has.

As he has the M:I:V production to deal with, and that's no small feat judging from the previous ones, he's going to be too busy to work on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. film and The Hollywood Reporter through The Guardian say that the production schedules for the two films are going to be clashing. That's why he's left the film.

The production team on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. haven't been sitting around though and they're already looking to new names for the leading role to star along Armie Hammer, yes he's staying with the film and playing Illya Kuryakin the Russian member of the duo.

While there are stories about talks with Alicia Vikander to star as the leading female in the film, The Hollywood Reporter also have the story that Henry Cavill is in talks to take the role that Cruise has left as the agent Napoleon Solo.

There's no other real news on the swap but it does sound like a good one and it might also help Cavill from being pigeon-holed as the man with the big "S" on his chest, after all if the Man of Steel is successful then he could well be pulled back in for a sequel or two. There's no doubt that this would be a very different role for him, although perhaps not stretching his capabilities.

It also balances out the leads well giving the film the ability to raise Hammer a bit more than he would have been if Cruise were in the leading role. I'm saying that just from the sheer recognition factor, Cruise is undoubtedly the bigger star and the media alone would concentrate on him more than anyone else in the film. Perhaps this could end up a better move for everyone involved, especially as we get another Mission: Impossible film as well.